


morning light

by celsidebottom



Series: azu week [2]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Dreams, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Religion, feel like this is really treading the line between & and / but I mean, its Aphrodite what do you expect, mild religious doubt but not much, mildly referenced hamid, mildly referenced kobold-related trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26842600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celsidebottom/pseuds/celsidebottom
Summary: azu week day 2: agape/pragma/philauta
Relationships: Aphrodite & Azu (Rusty Quill Gaming)
Series: azu week [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1963588
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11
Collections: Azu Week 2020





	morning light

**Author's Note:**

> The morning light  
> When it comes to me  
> It was there but I could not see
> 
> unshaken - d'angelo

Azu hates how cramped the tent is. She’s painfully aware of the low top, the stuffy air, the quiet sound of Hamid’s breathing from next to her. She’s exhausted but almost too uncomfortable to sleep. Endless scenes flash through her head of Shoin, that contraption, the kobolds, the cave, the man Skraak killed … she can’t find any peace from them, and she can hardly understand them. The horror she saw, on such a scale - how _can_ she understand that? How can she move past it? Her thoughts move in endless and troubled circles, only producing more distress.  
Finally, her eyes slip closed.

When she awakes, the first thing she is aware of is the heat. Lovely and warm, and in her half-asleep state she basks in it for the few seconds before she realises something is wrong. She opens her eyes and blinks against the bright sunlight as she moves up into a sitting position and looks around.  
The ground beneath her is dusty, beaten flat and hard by the sun and the footsteps of countless people before her. Small patches of grass grow here and there, surrounding a small cluster of buildings. She blinks in surprise; although she doesn’t recognise exactly where she is, the style so strongly reminds her of home. She’s not in her armour, just the simple clothes she wears for sleeping, and a slight breeze passes through, causing them to flutter. There’s nobody else around, and it almost feels wrong to see a village like this.  
Just as she thinks that, she hears footsteps behind her. She turns, ready to get up, and freezes.  
All she can see of the person is their feet and legs, but she doesn’t dare look further up. That strange sense of home and familiarity suddenly becomes a thousand times stronger, and she is able to identify where she knows it from, able to identify this person. This Goddess.  
She opens her mouth to speak but her words catch in her throat. Suddenly all the pain and doubt from before rushes back to her, forming a lump past which no sound can get through, and she just stares at the ground. After a while, Aphrodite lays a gentle hand on her head. When She speaks, Her voice is cheerful, kind, teasing. Caring.  
“Look at me?” She asks, and Azu could hardly disobey. She lifts her trembling head to gaze upon the face of her goddess.  
“My lady,” she breathes, hardly a whisper.  
Aphrodite’s hand moves from her head to her shoulder as She squats down in front of her. Azu can hardly believe it; having her goddess in front of her is so overwhelming, and she blinks back tears. From where Her hand rests on her shoulder, all the aches and tension have disappeared. Azu breathes, deeper. Exhales. Smiles.  
“My lady.”  
She tries to focus on Aphrodite’s face but finds that she can’t quite, her eyes and mind slipping off being able to pin down the whole. She chooses Her eyes, dark brown and infinitely warm, crinkled in a smile.  
Aphrodite speaks again.  
“I have been watching over you.”  
“O-over me?” Azu asks, barely believing it. Aphrodite’s eyes crinkle in further amusement.  
“Of course, over you. I see all of you. Your love, your strength. I can see it in the people around you, in the wounds you have healed, in the justice you serve, in the path that your faith leads you.”  
Azu’s eyes shine.  
“And I have been with you, yes?”  
“Yes- of course!” Azu replies fervently, desperately, but any worry is dispelled as Aphrodite laughs in response.  
“I am still with you,” She points out.  
Azu swallows as she understands the meaning of the words. She remembers her doubt and shame - she remembers doubting Aphrodite Herself. As she still gazes into her goddess’s eyes, she knows she must not foster hate inside herself, but treat her past gently,  
As Aphrodite talks, her hand trails down Azu’s shoulder and down her arm until She is clasping her hand in Hers. Wherever Her touch was, Azu feels her pain disappear.  
As She finishes, She closes Her other hand around Azu’s and brings their enclasped hands up between them.  
“So much love,” Aphrodite says gently. “My dear paladin. Love spanning centuries.”  
Azu’s eyes brim with tears.  
“Thank you. Thank you.” She whispers the words like a prayer. Aphrodite stands, and Azu stands with Her. Aphrodite lets go of their hands, and gives her a final smile before turning and walking away, becoming hidden from view among the buildings. Azu looks down at the rose that remains in her hand.

She wakes gently once more. The bright sun is no more, but she can faintly see the sunrise filtering through the walls of the tent. She feels tears gently falling down her cheeks, and she gently closes her outstretched hand that held the rose.

**Author's Note:**

> im very much not religious so idk how, like, accurate this is to having religious faith or how Aphrodite is portrayed but! hope you enjoyed!!


End file.
